Magnetic tray



June 8, 1965 a. H. CHRISTENSEN 3,187,923

MAGNETIC TRAY Filed Nov. 22, 1961 3 '13 Li iJB IO r INVENTOR. GAYLOR H. CHRISTENSEN FIG4 BY an adjacent metal surface and which can be 3,187,923 MAGNETIC TRAY Gaylor H. ChristensemRte. 3, Audubon, Iowa Filed Nov. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 154,159 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-18) This invention relates to trays and more particularly it is the subject of this invention to provide a tray especially suitable for holding nuts, bolts and mechanical parts for a workman, the tray having a magnet attached to it for rendering attachment to a metal surface of a furnace or other piece of equipment having many expensive easy to lose small parts which is being repaired under awkward or ill-lighted conditions.

A further object is to provide a tray which can be attached by its magnet at any handy and desired height along quickly removed.

A further object is to provide a tray which is provided with an extension member extending downwardly from a magnet thereof for bearing against'the adjacent surface of a furnace wall or other object to which the magnet is attached whereby a mechanical advantage is gained so that a greater weight of parts may be supported in the tray by magnetic attraction.

A further object is to provide a member, downwardly extending for mechanical advantage, which may be turned to a nesting position within a tray for compact space saving storage in a workmans tool box when'not in use.

Still another object is to provide a tray as described a magnet portion of which is recessed in a wall thereof. Yet a further object is to provide a tray as described a magnet portion of which is substantially totally enclosed within the wall thereof.

Still another object is to provide a tray as described a magnet portion of which is disposed on the outer side of an outer wall of the tray and is suitably attached thereto by bolts or other suitable means.

Yet a further object is to provide a parts tray ha' 'ng spaced apart magnets attaining a greater degree of resistance to detachment caused by a sidewise force such as inadvertent blow by a workman.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same orequivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims. i

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the tray.

FIGURE 2 is a view of the tray as it would be seen;

from the right hand side thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2. i

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the tray with an extension member thereof being shown in a second or stored position by means of dotted lines, the motion of this change of position is shown by a dotted arrow line.

As shown by FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4, the extension member here numbered 100 of the tray generally'indicated at depends downwardly in use from'a rear wall 102 and has an outer abutment surface 104 facing generally away from the tray. A flexible upperend 106 of rubber, plastic, or the like, is fused or' cemented to the outward surface of extension 100 and extends over the lip or edge 108 of the tray 10 and downwardly to a position adjacent the inner surface of the rear wall 102, being :Patented June 8, 1965 ice there also secured by cementing, fusing or other suitable means. This part of the flexible end 106 within the tray is numbered 109. Y i

Two magnet assemblies 110 received in housings 112 are provided, each having a tongue portion 114 at right angles thereto for attachment to the side walls 116 of the tray 10 by integral casting, fusing, or the like, whereby the magnet housings112 are positioned one on either side of the extension member 100 and outwardly therefrom.

The outward position of the two magnet assemblies 110 provides a firmer attachment to a metallic surface to resist a sidewise inadvertent striking force. The provision drawings themselves as the a of a flexible portion 106 of the extension 100 allows the said extension to be swung back to the dotted line position as shown in FIGURE 8, the motion being in the direction of the dotted arrow line'118 whereby the extension 100 will lie substantially within the tray 10 for space saving storage. This invention is set-forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a magnetic, tray constructed in accordance with my'invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvibus that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I donot wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts therein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A tray having a bottom wall with a generally horizontal article supporting upper surface, said tray having an annular side wall extending upwardly from and attached to said bottom wall, a magnet means attached to the outer side of said side wall and having an outer gripping surface, and an extension member attached to said tray and extending downwardly therefromand having an outer abutment surface facing generally away from said tray and disposed vertically spaced from said outer gripping surface of said magnet whereby when said gripping surface and said abutment surface are engaging a vertical surface of an object then said article supporting tray surface will be generally horizontally disposed, said outer gripping surface of said magnet facing in the same direction as the abutment surface of said extension member, said extension member having a flexible upper end portion attached to saidannular side wall for describing A swinging movements about said side wall whereby said extension member may be positioned substantially within said tray at times.

2. A tray having a bottom wall with a generally horizontal article supporting upper surface, said tray having an annular side wall extending upwardly from and attached to said bottom wall, a magnet means attached to the outer side of said side wall and having an outer gripping surface, and anextension member attached to said extending downwardly therefrom and having an generally away from said tray and outer abutment surface facing tray and disposed vertically spaced from said outer gripping surface of said magnet whereby when said gripping believed to fulfill the objects above member may'be positioned subtan'tially within said tray 641,893 for storage. 1 14 275 Refgrences Cited by tl 1e Examiner 2,161,5'77

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Roberts 248-206 Pierce 248-206 Hewlett 120-18 X End'ers 220-18 54 70 9 9 5 McConnell 220; FRANKLIN GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. A TRAY HAVING A BOTTOM WALL WITH A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL ARTICLE SUPPORTING UPPER SURFACE, SAID TRAY HAVING AN ANNULAR SIDE WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM AND ATTACHED TO SAID BOTTOM WALL, A MAGNET MEANS ATTACHED TO THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID SIDE WALL AND HAVING AN OUTER GRIPPING SURFACE, AND AN EXTENSION MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID TRAY AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AND HAVING AN OUTER ABUTMENT SURFACE FACING GENERALLY AWAY FROM SAID TRAY AND DISPOSED VERTICALLY SPACED FROM SAID OUTER GRIPPING SURFACE OF SAID MAGNET WHEREBY WHEN SAID GRIPPING SURFACE AND SAID ABUTMENT SURFACE ARE ENGAGING A VERTICAL SURFACE OF AN OBJECT THEN SAID ARTICLE SUPPORTING TRAY SURFACE WILL BE GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, SAID OUTER GRIPPING SURFACE OF SAID MAGNET FACING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE ABUTMENT SURFACE OF SAID EXTENSION MEMBER, SAID EXTENSION MEMBER HAVING A FLEXIBLE UPPER END PORTION ATTACHED TO SAID ANNULAR SIDE WALL FOR DESCRIBING SWINGING MOVEMENTS ABOUT SAID SIDE WALL WHEREBY SAID EXTENSION MEMBER MAY BE POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY WITHIN SAID TRAY AT TIMES. 